Drivers for This Solution
As stated in the prior section, the history of optical wireless communication is as long
as the history of RF wireless communication. However, it didn??™t see significant growth
as soon as RF communication did primarily due to limitations that were easily overcome
by RF communication technology. In addition, its key attributes, such as high
bandwidth and freedom from RF interference, didn??™t have any appeal until the modern
days of information age and spectral shortage.
The genesis of modern day FSO technology was primarily driven by its appeal to
military applications. With the use of optical transmission, FSO technology provided
the potential to transfer large amounts of data at rates unmatched by RF technologies.
It also provided a communication medium that was not only secure from eavesdropping
but also ???RF silent.??? Its immunity from external RF interference meant its
immunity from jamming. With these benefits, the U.S. military saw opportunities for
the application of this technology and funded several projects starting in the early
1980s for the development of the technology and its applications.
Pages:
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625